Last jack



se ts, 1941; G CARR 2,255,150

LAST JACK Filed Jun e 14, 1940 Patented Sept. 9, 1941 s'rrss TENT OFFICE LAST JACK Elton G. Carr, Beverly, Mass, assignor to United- Shoe Machinery Corporation,

Borough of Flemington, N. .L, a corporation of New Jersey Application June 14, 1940, Serial No. 340,480

'9 Claims.

ing a last upon which apartly finished shoe is disposed, and is herein illustrated as embodied in a last jack provided with an improved selflocking last pin.

During the manufacture of shoes, the lasted 5 shoes are frequently mounted on jacks, for example, during the application of a spray coating to a part thereof, or during certain other finishing operatiom. The customary last jack is provided with a smooth last pin which loosely fits into the thimble hole of the last and, consequently, unless the last pin is maintained in a substantially upstanding position, the last, will fall ofi of the last pin. Accordingly, the last pin 1 were not adapted to rapid mounting and dismounting of the last.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide an improved self-locking last pin upon which a last may be mounted and dismounted with very little manipulation.

To this end, in accordance with the present invention, a last pin is provided for securing a last placed thereon, the last pin being mounted on a support and having two portions of substantially the same cross section, the portions being so constructed and arranged that one of i the portions is normally urged to take a laterally ofiset position with respect to the other portion whereby a last placed upon the last pin will be locked thereon, means being provided, however, for moving the first-named portion into end-toend alinement with the second-named portion to release the last.

The form and applications of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is an elevation of the last support in section showing a last mountedtherein;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device;

Figs. 3 and4 show on a smaller scale the last pin applied to a shoe rack; and Figs. 5 and 6 show the last pin applied to a shoe conveyor.

Referring to Fig. 1, the device, generally indicated by the letter P, is shown mounted on a Cl. 12-123) This invention relates to a device for support- 1 bracket l6 extending from a support I 2 in a spray booth, for example, for supporting a last L having a shoe S mounted thereon preparatory to the ap plication of a spray coating thereto, or to some finishing operation. As illustrated, the device comprises atwo-part last pin consisting of a portion M arranged to extend through an aperture 16 formed in the bracket l0 and a portion 24 forming a longitudinal extension of the portion M the two portions being alined end to end. An enlargement [8 formed near one end of the por- .tion [4 provides an annular shoulder 20 adapted to bear against the top surface of the bracket whereby the portion M is fixed to the bracket .by any convenient means, as, for example, by

- brazing or soldering.

The last manufacturers commonly adhere to a standard-sized thimble 22 and, consequently, the portions I4 and 24 of the last pin are turned down to a diameter of approximately 3%" less than the standard thimble. thereby providing a relatively snug fit between the last pin and thimble and yet permitting one readily to mount or dismount the last on the pin.

The portion 24 is constructed and arranged so that it may be moved relatively to the portion I4 about an axis offset from the axis of the portion 14 whereby the last may be locked on the last pin or released therefrom. This is effected by a spindle 26 to one end of which the portion 24 is fixed, the spindle being mounted for rotation in a bore 2! formed longitudinally of the portion l4 and eccentric to its axis. The opposite end of the spindle 26 projects through the enlargement is, and a collar 28 is fixed thereto by a cotter 25 to retain the spindle in the bore 2l. A thumbpiece 29 extends radially from the collar whereby the spindle may be turned to move the portion 24 from looking position into end-to-end alinement with'the portion l 4.

It is desirable to have a self-locking last pin so that when the operator brings the portions l4 'and24 into concentric relation by means of the thumb-piece 29 and places the last on the last pin, it will only be necessary to release the 'tlnimb-piece29to lock the last on the last pin, To

this end, a torsion spring 30 is largement 18, one end 32 anchored in an aperture in placed on the enof the spring being the bracket It and the other end being extended to forma loop about the thumb-piece at 34. The spring is so arranged that normally it spindle to urge the portion offset or eccentric position fixed portion l4. Therefore,

will act upon the 24 laterally into an with respect to. the when a last is placed upon the last pin and the thumb-piece released, the spring automatically forces the movable portion 24 to a laterally offset or eccentric position with respect to the fixed portion, thereby tightly gripping the walls of the last thimble and locking the pin to the last. In order to release the last, the thumb-piece is turned in opposition to the spring to move the movable portion into concentric position with relation to the fixed portion.

While the eccentric relation of the parts of the last pin retains the last on the last pin, if the last is gripped and moved in a direction to decrease the eccentricity of the parts of the last pin, the last may be turned on the last pin. To prevent this relative movement between the last and the last pin, which would be particularly undesirable when the last pin is used on a rack or conveyor, as will appear hereinafter, a depending flange 35 is formed integral with the bracket ill, the lower portion of the flange being adapted to engage the neck of the last; Due to the fact that the neck of the last is oval, the engagement of the flange with the side portion thereof prevents rotation of the last on the last p As thus far described, the last jack is well adapted for supporting a last in a spray booth, but it may be employed for supporting lasts for various other steps of the shoe manufacturing process. For example, after each operation the lasted shoes are placed on racks and temporarily set aside or moved directly to the next operation. The racks are pushed about rapidly and frequently jostled so that some of the shoes fall off. It is within the object of this invention to equip shoe racks with a plurality of last pins of the type described above fixedly to support the lasted shoes on the racks. Referring to Fig. 4, there is illustrated a fragmentary portion of a shoerack 36 having a number of parallel bars 38 upon which there are mounted a plurality of lastpins P. The bars 38 are L-shaped members set at an angle (Fig. 3) so that one face 40 of each alternate bar slopes upwardly from the horizontal when facing either side of the rack. The last pins are fixed to the faces 40 of the bars 38 in the same manner that the last pin P is fixed to the bracket iii in Fig. l, and as a result, they extend downwardly to the front on alternate bars, as viewed from either side of the rack. The reason for having the last pins in this position is to permit the operator to mount the lasts on the pins by an upward sweep of the arm, which consumes less time and effort than to raise the lasts above the last pins and to push them down onto the last pins. Furthermore, to release the last it is only necessary to actuate the thumb-piece whereupon the last will drop off into the operators hand by gravity, thereby eliminating any necessity for pulling and lifting the last from the last pin.

In some factories endless conveyors are used for conveying the shoes from one operation to the next, and Figs. 5 and 6 show the last jack of this invention as applied to such a conveyor. A conventional type of conveyor is illustrated comprising a frame 42 upon which there are mounted endless parallel chains 44 between which there are cross links 48. Each cross link has secured thereto an angle plate 50 to which there is fixed a last pin P (Fig. 6). The endless conveyor may be placed so that the lasts may be carried along by either the upper run of the chain or the lower run. An advantage-of the lower.run is that the operator can release the lasts as they pass over his bench by pressing the thumb-piece without having to pull or lift the lasts from the pins.

It is to be understood that the illustrations of the applications of this invention as set forth above are by way of example only and that other applications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention as defined in the following claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A last jack comprising, in combination, a support and a last pin, said last pin comprising two portions of substantially the same crosssection alined end to end, means for urging one portion to turn about an offset axis substantially parallel to the axis of the other portion so that a part of said first-named portion is laterally offset with respect to the other portion, and means for moving said first-named portion into endwise alinement with the second-named portion.

2. A last jack comprising, in combination, a support and a last pin, said last pin comprising a fixed portion and a movable portion of substantially the same cross-section, means for urging said movable portion to turn about an offset axis substantially parallel to the axis of the fixed portion so that a part of the movable portion is laterally offset with respect to the fixed portion, and means for moving said movable portion into endwise alinement with the fixed portion.

3. A last jack comprising, in combination, a support and a last pin, said last pin comprising two portions alined end to end, means for urging one of said portions to turn about a longitudinal axis so that a part of its surface is laterally offset with respect to the other of said portions, and means to move said first-named portion into alinement with the second-named portion.

4. A last jack comprising, in combination, a support and a last pin, said last pin comprising two longitudinally alined portions of substantially the same diameter, means for normally urging one portion to turn about a longitudinal axis to a position eccentric to the other portion, and means for moving said first-named portion to a position concentric to the secondnamed portion.

5. A last jack comprising, in combination, a support and a last pin, said last pin comprising two portions movable relatively to each other, said portions being of substantially the same diameter, a spring normally urging one portion to take a position eccentric to the other portion, and means for moving said first-mentioned portion into a position concentric to said secondnamed portion.

6. A last jack comprising, in combination, a support and a last pin, said last pin comprising two portions of substantally the same diameter, one of said portions having a longitudinal bore formed therein, a spindle disposed in said bore, the other of said portions being fixed to said spindle, and means urging said spindle to turn in said bore to displace said second-named portion laterally of said first-named portion.

7. A last jack comprising, in combination, a support and a last pin, said last pin comprising a movable portion and a fixed portion, a spring for normally urging said movable portion to take a laterally offset position with respect to the fixed portion, and a thumb-piece operably connected to said movable portion whereby said movable portion may be moved to a position concentric to the fixed portion.

8. A last jack comprising, in combination, a support and a last pin, said last pin comprising two portions, a bore extending through one portion, a spindle disposed in said bore, said spindle being connected to the other portion, a spring normally urging said spindle to turn in said bore to displace the second-named portion laterally of the first-named portion, and a thumb-piece fixed to said spindle whereby said spindle may be turned to a position in which the second-named portion is concentric to the first-named portion.

9. A last jack comprising, in combination, a support and a last pin mounted thereon for receiving a last, said last pin comprising two portions, means for urging one portion to a laterally offset position with respect to the other portion, means for moving said first-named portion into alinement with the second-named portion ,and means associated with said support to engage the neck of the last to prevent rotation thereof relatively to the last pin.

ELTON G. CARR. 

